Smokers may be at greater risk of HIV infectionSeptember 21, 2006Is smoking tobacco an independent risk factor for HIV infection and progression to AIDS? Smokers may be at greater risk of HIV infection than non-smokers, reveals an analysis of published research issued ahead of print in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Cigarette smoking has already been linked to a higher than normal chance of contracting other infections generally, including those that have been sexually transmitted. The researchers trawled through 13 academic research databases, three abstract databases from recent international AIDS conferences, as well as viewing relevant websites and contacting experts in the field. Six studies assessed the association between cigarette smoking and becoming HIV positive. Five of them concluded that smokers ran a greater risk of this varying from around 60% to a more than tripling of the risk. Ten further papers looked at the association between smoking and progression to AIDS, nine of them concluding that smokers were not at increased risk. "The consistency of the findings is striking and represents a major strength of this review," comment the authors, adding: "while the studies vary in quality, they include reports of high quality investigations using large sample sizes." Tobacco smoke may enhance vulnerability to infection by modifying the structure of the lungs and changing an array of immune system responses, including curbs on the production of antibodies and the activity of infection fighting white cells, say the authors. There are almost 40 million people in the world living with HIV/AIDS, and the global death toll of deaths related to tobacco is expected to reach 8.4 million in 2020. The authors suggest that as well as encouraging people to give up smoking as an essential public health measure, this may also contribute to the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention programmes. BMJ Specialty Journals |
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| Related HIV Infection Current Events and HIV Infection News Articles Many pregnant women avoid HIV screening in Africa 'Prevention is the best cure' is a common expression, but what happens if preventative measures are not used? A large proportion of pregnant Ugandan women are going out of their way not to be HIV tested, increasing the risk of mother-to-child transmission. An atomic-level look at an HIV accomplice Since the discovery in 2007 that a component of human semen called SEVI boosts infectivity of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have been trying to learn more about SEVI and how it works, in hopes of thwarting its infection-promoting activity. Scientists explain binding action of 2 key HIV antibodies; could lead to new vaccine design A very close and detailed study of how the most robust antibodies work to block the HIV virus as it seeks entry into healthy cells has revealed a new direction for researchers hoping to design an effective vaccine. Global challenges and opportunities in fighting HIV/AIDS and neglected diseases Responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and tackling so-called neglected tropical diseases are the focus of the November/December 2009 edition of Health Affairs. HIV care providers applaud Congress' extension of Ryan White program Medical providers on the front lines of HIV care applaud the U.S. Congress for extending the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, helping to ensure that more than half a million low-income, uninsured, or underinsured people living with HIV/AIDS have access to lifesaving care. Pitt researchers find candidates for new HIV drugs While studying an HIV protein that plays an essential role in AIDS progression, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered compounds that show promise as novel treatments for the disease. NIH launches 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine trials in HIV-infected pregnant women The first clinical trials to test whether the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine can safely elicit a protective immune response in pregnant women launched yesterday, and a trial to conduct the same test in HIV-infected children and youth will begin next week. Continuing racial differences in HIV prevalence in US HIV prevalence among African Americans is ten times greater than the prevalence among whites. This racial disparity in HIV prevalence has persisted in the face of both governmental and private actions, involving many billions of dollars, to combat HIV. HIV vaccine regimen demonstrates modest preventive effect in Thailand clinical study In an encouraging development, an investigational vaccine regimen has been shown to be well-tolerated and to have a modest effect in preventing HIV infection in a clinical trial involving more than 16,000 adult participants in Thailand. New chemically-activated antigen could expedite development of HIV vaccine Scientists working to develop a vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) report they have created the first antigen that induces protective antibodies capable of blocking infection of human cells by genetically-diverse strains of HIV. More HIV Infection Current Events and HIV Infection News Articles |
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